» Focus on women's education, skill development & innovation: President

Focus on women's education, skill development & innovation: President

Published: Monday, August 25, 2014, 10:38 [IST]

West Bengal, August 25: Calling for focusing on women's education, President Pranab Mukherjee Saturday asserted that by 2030, India will have an edge over other countries in supplying skilled manpower to the world.

In an address after inaugurating a new building of the Domkal Girls' College at Domkal in Murshidabad district, the president, emphasizing on the necessity of women's education, said an educated girl plays an active role in the socio-economic development of the country.

He also stressed on the importance of quality education starting from primary to post graduate level, saying it would enable local boys and girls take maximum advantage of the premier educational institutions.

Mukherjee said by 2030, one fifth of the world's total work force would be in India. With the average age of an Indian being less than that in countries like China, US and Britain, India will have an edge over other countries in supplying skilled man power to the world by that time, he said.

The president also called for making efforts to train and skill 50 crore people by 2025 as envisaged by National Skill Development Scheme.

'Skilling' 500 million will increase employability: President

Kolkata, August 25: President Pranab Mukherjee Sunday said it is "absolutely necessary" to impart skill training to 500 million India youths by 2020 in order to increase the employability of the work force. "By 2030, India is going to have 20 percent of the whole world's working population living in the country. More than 50 percent of India's population will be below 30 years," Mukherjee said while inaugurating the Management Development Institute (MDI) campus in Jangipur area of West Bengal's Murshidabad district.

"The vast multitude" of working forces can be transformed into skilled manpower through proper training, and this would enhance their job prospects. "The demographic dividend which we talk of, if we convert this vast multitude of working forces into skilled workers, their employability will increase manifold and therefore the target of providing skill to 500 million young persons in India is absolutely necessary," he said.

No country can progress without innovation: President

West Bengal, August 25: President Pranab Mukherjee has expressed concern over India lagging behind other countries in having patents, and said no country can progress without innovation. "No country can progress without innovation. Higher educational institutions can take a leading role in encouraging innovative activities," Mukherjee said in his address to students of Krishnath College in Baharampur.

Expressing concern over India lagging behind in patents, he said: "According to the International Patent Agency, in 2013, India's share was only 0.7 percent for new patents while that of China was 8.6 percent, Japan 26 percent, the US 36 percent and Germany 38 percent. This also points to the need for attaching more importance to research and innovation." Mukherjee also called for restoring an atmosphere conducive for research and a perfect teacher-student relationship in educational institutions of the country.

"There is need for serious introspection on why our educational institutions are not among the front-ranking institutions in the world although we have no dearth of qualified teachers and brilliant students," he said. Mukherjee also said that mere expansion of physical infrastructure in the education sector will not bring about proper improvement or lead to comprehensive development. "The concept of a knowledge society means only by acquiring superior technology can a country become a superpower," he said.